Nite-Guard Solar / prevents owl predation?
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Craig Dyer
- Posts: 500
- Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 2:24 pm
- Location: Nevada, TX
- Martin Colony History: Area is rural. Offer 28 compartments...metal housing (Lonestar Goliad) & Supergourds all w/crescent entrance holes. Purple martins are abundant here and eager for quality, well maintained, safe housing. Expect near 100% occupancy this season.
Has anybody had any experience with this product? It uses a red flashing lite at night to frighten away nocturnal predators. The claim is that night animals have a primitive fear of being watched or discovered, and will leave the area.
Craig Dyer
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Hey Craig,
I have never used the niteguard lights to deter great horned or barred owl predation at my various purple martin colonies. I have my doubts since I have used floodlights in the past to stop barred owl predation on my martin colonies and this approach failed. You have to ask yourself a question: If blinking lights frighten away owls, then why don't these lights frighten martins in the late evening or early morning darkness? Male martins frequently come out to dawn sing and perch at their housing during the early morning darkness. The martins could possibly see these blinking niteguards which are supposed to frighten away animals. If the blinking lights represent a danger to scare ferocious predators like great horned owls, then should martins be wary of them? So if martins ignore the blinking lights, why wouldn't a "wise old owl" do the same? Just something to think about.
Here is a link to a site where these lights failed to stop great horned owls from predating chickens. So these lights may not work in all situations:
http://www.mossbackfarm.com/archive/000238.html
Steve
I have never used the niteguard lights to deter great horned or barred owl predation at my various purple martin colonies. I have my doubts since I have used floodlights in the past to stop barred owl predation on my martin colonies and this approach failed. You have to ask yourself a question: If blinking lights frighten away owls, then why don't these lights frighten martins in the late evening or early morning darkness? Male martins frequently come out to dawn sing and perch at their housing during the early morning darkness. The martins could possibly see these blinking niteguards which are supposed to frighten away animals. If the blinking lights represent a danger to scare ferocious predators like great horned owls, then should martins be wary of them? So if martins ignore the blinking lights, why wouldn't a "wise old owl" do the same? Just something to think about.
Here is a link to a site where these lights failed to stop great horned owls from predating chickens. So these lights may not work in all situations:
http://www.mossbackfarm.com/archive/000238.html
Steve
last year we lost most of our martins to owl attacks. we bought the niteguard and put it on top of one our houses and it worked great. we saw on owl in our yard and he was about 150 yards from the niteguard . he left the area and we never saw him again and no attacks to our colony at all. we had about about 25 martins at the end of the season after losing about half of the almost hundred we had last year. i would recomend the niteguard to anyone having problems with night predators.we thought the martins would be frightened by the flashing light, but they were not. it starts flashing at dusk and we have seen martins land on it and sit on it till dark and go in the houses.
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~Ray~Gingerich
- Posts: 2122
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:24 pm
- Location: Delaware/Dover
I put up 6 to cover my site from both sides, who knows what happens at night,owls are everywhere, it might work.
~Ray~ Gingerich
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
1999 1pair, 2006 2 pair, 2008 2 pair,
2009 23 pair, 2010 39 pair, 2011 67 pair,
2012 115 pair, 2013 160 pair,
2014 152 pair, 2015 174 pair, 2016 178 pair
2017 187 pair, 2018 200 pair, 2019 171pair
2020 233 pair
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Peggy Riley
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:21 pm
- Location: TX/Tolar
Others have had success here in Texas. I am going to add them this year.
Peggy
Peggy
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Joe Zorn
Craig,
I had a single owl that stayed in a neighbors tree and would nightly raid my martin houses. I took quite a hit until I figured out what was happening. The neighbor where the tree was located brought me up to speed about his presence.
I was able make some crude modifications to stop his activities, but he sure tried to defeat them over and over again.
Several of the forum participants verified that these night guard devices do work, not only for owls and other winged predators, but four footed types too.
I plan to buy 4 of them before next year. One for each direction. (N, E, S, & W). They are a little pricey for my likings, but will sure be worth it if it means I won't lose a fifth of my babies again this year.
Everyone I've heard from who has them says they work well.
I had a single owl that stayed in a neighbors tree and would nightly raid my martin houses. I took quite a hit until I figured out what was happening. The neighbor where the tree was located brought me up to speed about his presence.
I was able make some crude modifications to stop his activities, but he sure tried to defeat them over and over again.
Several of the forum participants verified that these night guard devices do work, not only for owls and other winged predators, but four footed types too.
I plan to buy 4 of them before next year. One for each direction. (N, E, S, & W). They are a little pricey for my likings, but will sure be worth it if it means I won't lose a fifth of my babies again this year.
Everyone I've heard from who has them says they work well.
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Craig Dyer
- Posts: 500
- Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 2:24 pm
- Location: Nevada, TX
- Martin Colony History: Area is rural. Offer 28 compartments...metal housing (Lonestar Goliad) & Supergourds all w/crescent entrance holes. Purple martins are abundant here and eager for quality, well maintained, safe housing. Expect near 100% occupancy this season.
Thanks to all for your input. There sure is a divergence of opinions.
To date I have not had any owl attacks that I am aware of. I know there are Great Horned owls in the area. I can see their siloettes on moon lit nights in a large dead tree behind my property. I often hear their distinctive calls late in the evening. I have refrained from placing owl guards on the housing and gourds. I loath the thought of having to mess with them. By refusing to use them, I may be playing russian roulette. I hope not.
LN, your radio playing is an interesting idea. There is a natural gas drilling site within 750 yards of my colony set-up. There are huge truck-size compressors on site that rumble and roar non-stop 24-7. The noise is variable, but persistent. I wonder if the compressor noise is inhibiting the owls ability to hear the martins. Maybe this explains my good fortune so far.
To date I have not had any owl attacks that I am aware of. I know there are Great Horned owls in the area. I can see their siloettes on moon lit nights in a large dead tree behind my property. I often hear their distinctive calls late in the evening. I have refrained from placing owl guards on the housing and gourds. I loath the thought of having to mess with them. By refusing to use them, I may be playing russian roulette. I hope not.
LN, your radio playing is an interesting idea. There is a natural gas drilling site within 750 yards of my colony set-up. There are huge truck-size compressors on site that rumble and roar non-stop 24-7. The noise is variable, but persistent. I wonder if the compressor noise is inhibiting the owls ability to hear the martins. Maybe this explains my good fortune so far.
Craig Dyer